Latest news with #Landerholm
Euractiv
a day ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Former Swedish government advisor on trial over mislaid documents
Henrik Landerholm, who resigned in January over the scandal, left documents in an unlocked locker at a hotel in March 2023 AFP Euractiv Aug 18, 2025 16:23 2 min. read News Service Produced externally by an organization we trust to adhere to journalistic standards. Sweden's former national security adviser went on trial Monday for forgetting classified documents at a Stockholm hotel, which prosecutors said jeopardised the country's security. Henrik Landerholm, who resigned in January over the scandal, left the documents in an unlocked locker at the hotel in March to the charge sheet and police investigation, the hotel cleaner who found the papers could be "linked to violent extremism circles".Landerholm has pleaded not guilty to a charge of "carelessness with classified information", which carries the risk of a fine or up to a year in prison if convicted. He has admitted, however, that he forgot the documents in his hotel room. His lawyer Johan Eriksson told the court that it was not known if anyone had seen the contents. "We are arguing that, given the circumstances, the information has not been disclosed," Eriksson told the court, arguing that the information "was not of a nature that could be considered harmful to Sweden's national security" even if it came to light. Landerholm told the court there was "no excuse" for the incident in the Gallofsta hotel, adding: "It was unfortunate and inappropriate. It is now up to the court to decide if it was a crime." Much of the proceedings in the case are set to be held behind closed doors because of the sensitive nature of the information. After the scandal erupted, Swedish media also revealed that Landerholm forgot his cell phone at the Hungarian embassy in December 2022, shortly after he was appointed as adviser. He also left a notebook behind after a media interview in January 2023. The 62-year-old has previously worked as an ambassador, director of Sweden's Psychological Defence Agency, principal of the Swedish Defence University, and chairman of parliament's defence committee. (vib)
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sweden prosecutes ex-security adviser for leaving secret papers at hotel
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors on Tuesday charged the government's former national security adviser with careless handling of secret information after he allegedly forgot documents at a conference hotel in 2023, the indictment showed. Prosecutors said in the indictment that Henrik Landerholm had through negligence disclosed "information relating to conditions of a secret nature and whose disclosure to a foreign power could cause harm to Sweden's security". Landerholm, whose lawyer did not immediately reply to a request for comment, left the documents behind in an unlocked safe as he departed the hotel, according to the indictment. The documents were later returned. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Handpicked for the job by the government of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in 2022, Landerholm stepped down in January 2025 following the launch of a criminal investigation into the matter.
Local Sweden
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Sweden's former national security adviser charged in classified documents scandal
Landerholm, a close friend of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and hand-picked for his role, stepped down as security adviser in January 2025 after a prosecutor opened an investigation into him leaving highly classified documents behind at a conference centre in 2023. The incident, which was first reported by the DN newspaper, was followed by reports of a series of other slip-ups, including Landerholm leaving his notebook at public radio broadcaster SR's studios, and his mobile phone at the embassy of Hungary during the Nato talks. He has now been charged with 'carelessness with secret information', reports DN. According to the charge sheet, submitted to Attunda District Court and seen by The Local, the person who found the documents at the conference centre can be 'linked to the violent extremist environment'. DN reports that the Georgian cleaner who found the documents received 15,000 kronor from a Russian citizen linked to violent Islamist extremism, who security police Säpo has previously been monitoring. There's no evidence that the transaction is connected to the documents. Landerholm has previously claimed that the documents were left in a locked cupboard. However, the charge sheet states that the cupboard was unlocked. According to the charge sheet, the documents concerned "matters of a secret nature, the disclosure of which to a foreign power could harm Swedish national security". His lawyer has previously said that Landerholm believes he is not guilty. 'The almost two-year-old incident (...) was reported to and investigated by the government offices' security department, which found that, beyond conversations, required no further action against me,' said Landerholm after he stepped down from his post in January.
Reuters
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Sweden prosecutes ex-security adviser for leaving secret papers at hotel
STOCKHOLM, March 11 (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors on Tuesday charged the government's former national security adviser with careless handling of secret information after he allegedly forgot documents at a conference hotel in 2023, the indictment showed. Prosecutors said in the indictment that Henrik Landerholm had through negligence disclosed "information relating to conditions of a secret nature and whose disclosure to a foreign power could cause harm to Sweden's security". Landerholm, whose lawyer did not immediately reply to a request for comment, left the documents behind in an unlocked safe as he departed the hotel, according to the indictment. The documents were later returned. Handpicked for the job by the government of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in 2022, Landerholm stepped down in January 2025 following the launch of a criminal investigation into the matter.
Local Sweden
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Politics in Sweden: Why carelessness isn't the only issue with the PM's 'bästis'
Landerholm has come under fire in the past few months for a series of security blunders and other mistakes, including: leaving his notebook at public radio broadcaster SR's studios leaving his mobile phone at the embassy of Hungary during Nato talks employing someone without security clearance leaving classified documents at a conference hotel north of Stockholm expensing trips to Berlin where his girlfriend lived For months, there has been growing pressure on Landerholm, who is not only a school friend of Sweden's prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, but also the person alongside whom he took his first steps into youth politics. He has been described as Kristersson's bästis, school slang for "best friend". He has been mocked as Slarverholm across the Swedish media for his slarvig ("careless") tendencies. When the Säpo security police launched an inquiry into the four classified documents he left at the Gällöfsta conference centre at the start of 2023, he announced his resignation. The security blunders are not the only thing problematic about Landerholm's appointment, however. Since he was appointed to the new (arguably tailor-made) role of national security adviser in 2022, he has rapidly built up a new organisation comprising more than 70 civil servants within Sweden's Cabinet Office, or Statsrådsberedningen. This has reportedly caused disquiet within Sweden's Foreign Office. There has even been speculation that it played a role in the resignation of Tobias Billström as foreign minister in September. There have also been questions over Landerholm's unclear status. While it is common practice in Sweden for politicians to appoint trusted friends and longstanding colleagues to special adviser roles, Landerholm was employed as a civil servant. In theory, this means it is a non-political appointment made on merit. Kristersson insisted to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper that it was "completely wrong" to suggest that Landerholm had got his position on the back of their friendship. "This is a highly qualified civil servant who has been given important roles in security policy under several governments of different political complexion," he said. Landerholm was vice-chancellor of the Swedish Defence University between 2008 and 2008, led Folke Bernadotteakademin, a Swedish peace agency, between 2008 and 2011, then served as ambassador to Riga, then ambassador to Abu Dhabi, and was appointed director general of the Psychological Defence Agency in 2022. An anonymous Moderate Party source told Aftonbladet, however, that they viewed the appointment as "pure nepotism". It was, they added, only the most glaring example of a pattern. The source pointed to PM Nilsson, the journalist (and friend) Kristersson made a state secretary (a senior political aide), as another example. Nilsson resigned in January 2023 over an illegal eel-fishing incident. The opposition has sought to exploit the scandal, with the party's defence spokesperson Peter Hultqvist calling it a "catastrophe for Kristersson". "When Säpo starts this preliminary investigation, it means two dramatic things are happening," he said. "Säpo is overruling both the prime minister and the security division of the government offices. They are refusing to accept the job that they did." Kristersson, he said, should have pushed Landerholm to resign "a long time ago". "Another question you could ask is how effective this new security organisation is: what has it produced in the way of security analysis that we didn't have before?" For the Moderates and the government, it is probably a relief that Säpo launched its investigation and so forced Landerholm to step down as this might draw a line under the long-simmering scandal. The risk for them is that his resignation is not the end of the story. What else has been happening in Swedish politics? Justice minister meets police on renewed explosions Sweden's justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, called an emergency meeting with police leaders after six blasts took place in Stockholm, Eskilstuna, and Malmö over the preceding few days. There have been 30 explosions recorded since the turn of the year, an average of more than one a day. The opposition Social Democrats called on the government to inform the parliament and coordinate with opposition parties on possible solutions. "We are in the middle of a national crisis which requires cooperation and unity," the party's justice spokesperson Teresa Carvalho, said. Kristersson's kitchen supper in Denmark Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen invited Ulf Kristersson, Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Finland's President Alexander Stubb over for an informal dinner at her home on Sunday in a show of Nordic solidarity in the face of US President Donald Trump's threats against Denmark. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen held an informal dinner on Sunday. Photo: Mette Frederiksen/Facebook Sweden's government proposes cutting 2030 and 2040 climate goals Sweden's government has instructed the cross-party Miljömålsberedningen (Committee for Preparation of Environmental targets) to look into whether the interim targets for 2030 and 2040 should be changed "so that they better overlap with Sweden's EU commitments". Daniel Helldén, joint leader of the Green Party, dismissed the announcement as a skenmanöver, a "pretence" or "smokescreen". "What the government should be doing right now, after all the criticism it has received for its climate policies, is to take actions which will reduce emissions here and now," he said. Kristina Östman, head of the climate unit at the Swedish Society for Nature Preservation, called the decision "incredibly irresponsible". Sweden's migration minister calls for higher income requirement for citizenship In an interview with Swedish public broadcaster SR, Sweden's migration minister, Johan Forssell, said that he was not happy with the low income requirement proposed by the inquiry into stricter citizenship which reported earlier this month, and was considering to include a more demanding requirement in a future bill put before parliament. The inquiry proposed that applicants should have 7,000 kronor available after tax. This is the so called existensminimum that bankrupt people are allowed to keep from monthly income to meet essential expenses. "It's obvious to me that this demand does not go sufficiently far if you want to be a Swedish citizen, the finest thing you can be in our country," he said. "There are several parties, including us [The Moderates] who want to negotiate on this." Politics in Sweden is The Local's weekly analysis, guide or look ahead to what's coming up in Swedish politics. Update your newsletter settings to receive it directly to your inbox.
